The Morning Fix

Desperate for help under center, Oakland pulled the trigger on a blockbuster trade that sent Carson Palmer from Cincinnati just before the NFL trade deadline.

“We wouldn’t have had to pursue a trade if our starting quarterback was healthy and going,” Raiders head coach Hue Jackson told the Kansas City media in a conference call Wednesday afternoon. “There’s no question that we would not have pursued this trade.”

“We’ve just got to plan on either guy,” Chiefs coach Todd Haley said. “Carson has a long track record in the NFL. We played against him a couple years ago in Cincinnati.

“We have very good familiarity with his strengths. Kyle, the same thing. We’ve seen him through the years in a number of different places. He was on tape last week some. Much like (the recent Indianapolis game), we’ve got to prepare for two guys. That happens on occasion, and this is one of those weeks.”

Q: Can you tell if there is something different with this team after the bye week to avoid a letdown?

CASSEL: “I thought the energy at practice was great today. I thought the guys came out with a lot of enthusiasm. This bye week couldn’t have come at a better time, I think, for our team. It allowed us to get a little extra time on a good opponent coming up here with the Raiders and at the same time, gave us a little rest and allowed our team to heal a little bit. To get back out there today, you could see that everybody is ready to go and hopefully that’ll translate into a good, successful win on Sunday.”

However, the Chiefs still face a daunting task with their running game depleted by the loss of Jamaal Charles. Fullback Le’Ron McClain (neck) and running back Jackie Battle (head) were both hurt against the Colts but are expected to play this weekend.

Battle saw his most action of the season versus Indianapolis, rushing for 119 yards on 19 carries.

Coach Todd Haley said the week off came at an opportune time, allowing him to adjust lineups after earlier injuries to tight end Tony Moeaki and Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry.

“I feel like we know a lot more about our team, which is normal,” Haley said. “You have five games under your belt and we were able to do a bunch of research and study internally.”